It's about that time of year again... The time for sugar-induced headaches (as a result of buying way too many sweets to give away to the handful of trick-or-treaters who came a-knockin) to be compounded by candy floss, toffee apples, and absurdly loud fireworks. I've been stocking up on Nurofen and toothpaste in preparation for this week, and I'm already feeling the benefits.

It's been a few weeks since I reached out to you on a personal level, and a few things have happened that have been keeping me occupied... Firstly, and most upsettingly, I said goodbye to the only female that has ever been faithful to me last week - my beloved Nissan 350Z. I miss her already...

My mates Kris and Louise emigrated to Dubai recently, and are just about getting settled. I miss them too! I also envy their tans, and admire the risk they've taken moving to a country so different to ours. Hopefully I'll be able to get over there and visit before the year is through. If you're in the slightest bit interested, Kris has set up a blog to keep us Brits back home up to date with what they're up to: http://krisheath.com/

Pete, Andy, Big Jon and I have sent off our application forms for next year's Tough Guy challenge, amazingly while sober and without bribery! In fact, having punished ourselves by watching 'The Invention Of Lying' - without doubt, the most dreadful film that I have ever seen, and perhaps has ever been made - I'm starting to think that there's more than a whiff of self-loathing and self-punishment going on this month! We would have walked out of the cinema if we weren't so upset about being ripped off to get in there in the first place... Seriously, when Gervais walked out looking like Jesus, I nearly put my Pepsi through the screen. Don't even watch this film when it comes out on TV.

I'm past the 'oh-my-god-what-have-I-let-myself-in-for' stage now with Tough Guy, and I'm quite looking forward to it. It's going to be freeeezing cold, taking place on 31st January, and there's a box on the application form that asks where you'd like to be buried if you die on the course, but I'm still optimistic that it will be fun. We'll be collecting money beforehand for Help For Heroes... If I can figure out how to put a button here on the blog for you to donate between now and January, I will do so.

Ummm... What else has happened? Pete and Laura are expecting a bambino. Laura's sister has had her bambino. Steve from work's had a bambino. My cousin Helen has had her second bambino. I'd feel left out, if it weren't for the fact that I'd be a terrible father and can barely look after myself, let alone have a little'un to worry about!

I've been quite busy with designing some new menus and generally preparing for the busy Christmas and New Year period at the pub, so while I can only apologise for not bringing you any music or photos over the last month or two, it's not like I've been sat on my arse sucking my thumb!

I think I'll leave you with this, for those of you that do have the time to sit down and peruse the weirder reaches of the internet: a site I found through the FRONT blog... Take A Weird Break. Just click the link and have a look. I do love mental people... Similarly awesome is WhyTheFuckDoYouHaveAKid.com, which I shall be showing to all of the new parents that I'm friends with so that they can get some tips.

See you soon peeps... Bonfire this Saturday, yeah?

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